Monrovia, Liberia – January 22, 2026 – The Development Education Network–Liberia (DEN-L) successfully presented findings from a comprehensive needs assessment aimed at strengthening forest governance and accountability in Liberia.
The assessment, conducted in December 2025, focused on five community forests: Zuzohn (Grand Bassa County); Marbo and Gola Konneh (Grand Cape Mount County); Bluyeama (Lofa County); and Beyan Poye (Margibi County). Additionally, institutional capacity assessments were carried out with key forest governance stakeholders, including the Liberia Chainsaw and Timber Dealers Union (LICSATDUN), the National Union of Community Forest Development Committees (NUCFDC), the National Benefit Sharing Trust Board (NBSTB), the National Union of Community Forest Management Bodies (NUCFMB), the Charcoal Union, the NGO Coalition of Liberia, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, now known as the Ministry of Local Government.
The findings were presented at the Second Inception Workshop of the Multi-Stakeholders Forest Governance and Accountability Project (MFGAP 2), held from January 21–22, 2026, at the Corina Hotel in Sinkor, Monrovia. The presentation highlighted system gaps identified during the assessment across various stakeholders and institutions, outlined intervention strategies, and proposed specific actions to enhance governance within the forest sector.
The DEN-L presentation was led by Madam Beatrice K. Sondah, Deputy Director for Programs, with technical input from Mr. Augustine S. Tweh, Master Trainer, and Mr. Kennedy Vesselee, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer.
The workshop, organized under MFGAP 2, brought together more than 50 participants, including representatives from community forest management bodies, national unions, the Ministry of Local Government, the Forestry Development Authority (FDA), civil society organizations, the media, and the European Union (EU) as a donor.
The workshop facilitated stakeholder dialogue on the assessment findings, aligned project interventions with identified gaps, and collaboratively developed a first-year implementation work plan. It also promoted stakeholder ownership and supported a smooth transition of MFGAP 2 from the design phase to active implementation.
With support from MFGAP and the European Union, DEN-L remains dedicated to advancing inclusive governance in Liberia’s forest sector as a foundation for peace, accountability, and sustainable development. !!!!!
